I don't understand make-up.

Hiya!

I don't understand make-up. I don't know how to apply it, I have no understanding of colour combinations let alone the techniques of making a smokey eye or a nice eye liner shape. 

Make-up to me is as much of a mystery as what is happening in the deep sea. I have not a clue. 

Ever since I started wearing even the slightest of make-up: mascara, I did go through your standard make-up phases. Starting out with wearing a ridiculous amount of mascara which made my eyelashes look as if I replaced them with some big ass spider legs. So yeah that wasn't a great start but hey, everybody seemed to do it so why not me?! As time passed my mascara used decreased, to both a normal amount when applying and to only applying it for either occasions where it was socially expected to wear mascara or whenever I felt like it. 

By my 18th birthday I expended my make-up use to mascara AND lipstick. What a wild girl! Now at 21 those are still the only types of make-up I reply somewhat regularly. 

How come I never expanded my make-up range? Well first off I am the oldest in the family which means I had to find out everything myself and let's say make-up wasn't one of the things I put a lot of time in finding out. Then there was the stigma around make-up and how every girl should wear it, the more the better, and me as the rebellious teenager I was figured I would annoy the world by not wearing make up. By now I realise how unimportant make up is and how it doesn't define you as a person but hey, teenage me didn't have a clue. Oh and also my line of work (nursing) doesn't really allow you to wear excessive makeup due to hygiene. 

But what makes me not use make-up the most is the fact that I just don't understand it. I don't understand how to put on eyeliner correctly or how to get foundation on evenly. These things need to be taught to me but they never were and I never got the courage to ask as I assumed make-up was something girls just knew all about. So now at 21 make-up is still a big mystery to me and I don't think that will ever change. However I would love to be able to apply the right tone of foundation in an even way over my face before doing a photo-shoot or when I have a fancy party to attend. Also perfecting my mascara and lipstick skills. Mostly the lipstick as I cannot find a way to make it stick to my lips for over 10 seconds. Don't even get me started on nail polish.

The main question however is does this really bug me? In a way it definitely doesn't. I don't feel the need to wear makeup in order to look pretty, I am confident enough to know I look pretty even without makeup. Would I like to obtain applying makeup as a new skill, yes I would, mostly to understand people that do wear a lot of makeup better and to perfect my look when I feel like doing so. 

Wearing makeup isn't something you should feel obliged to do, you are a beautiful woman both with and without it! If makeup makes you feel more comfortable than please feel free to wear it! If wearing makeup feels more like a social obligation, please learn to say no, to those who have you wear it and rock your makeupless look! Have faith in yourself and do you in the way you feel comfortable! Wearing makeup or not doesn't make you a better of less of a human being, YOU are what makes you an amazing human being and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

Lots of love,
ThatDutchGirl96